Sunny Mountain Day

Th

at's Mt. Shuksan in the background and that's David--I didn't realize he was so tall. We are looking at Mt. Baker, just finishing up a hike along Ptarmigan Ridge. You know the Ptarmigan is brown grouse-like and turns white this time of year. A camo for the winter months. We didn't see any, unfortuately.

We hiked about four miles, which is very short for David, for me--well, I'm getting used to longer hikes. I'm finding with any of these traveling hardships: sore muscles, bad weather, heavy pack, wet socks, you have to grin and bear it. Dad always said that to me as a kid, but I thought it was wrong. I've felt for some time we need to feel all our feelings. Of course, that's true when doing healing work from years of abuse, but in general, I think I've needed more of an attitude shift than anything. Yes, just not thinking about the suffering makes for less suffering. If this is true with all suffering, perhaps the goal of not thinking is what makes Buddhism work. Just meditate and keep going.

Well, just blabbing here as usual; I'm doing Pilates twice a week, probably mentioned that before, but strengthening the shoulder girdle has helped me to carry a pack and when I fell on the trail--my feet went out from under me on a slippery gravely place, I ended up in bridge pose, catching myself with one hand. I was impressed, not a sore muscle resulted from this fall. Strong core, strong shoulders, strong back--well worth the days I'd come home and flop on the couch, exhausted.

Hard work is tiring--perhaps I was just allergic to the hard work. Maybe my mama, from the south you see, taught me to be prime and proper and prissy. She would hardly venture outdoors, let alone walk in the woods where flies and mosquitoes might bite. Me, I'm an adventure girl now and I've got an adventure boy, and he doesn't stop--so either I keep up or I'm going to sit home and whine about my flabby condition. Voting for staying in shape here at 58. How about you?

We had another adventure after this one. Out in the San Juan Islands. More about that later.

Peace,

Traveling Nan

09-09-09

Hi Everyone,
I thought this would be a special day, and it is in someways. My sister is coming to visit from Spokane, which has only happened once before. We'll have a little dinner out with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild. My family gets together about once a year. I used to think this was terrible and would complain about it. Now I think it is what it is. I love them all, that is the most important thing.

And it is a special day in that I'm cooking tomatoes from my garden into soup. Nice homemade tomato soup. Also, I will have a good Italian dinner tonight. That is special.

I've been thinking today that it is important for me to get back to my art. There is a place in me that hurts because I don't do my art now. I talked to an artist friend yesterday and he was encouraging that I do art and throw it away. This feels right, so there isn't the thing about making something that someone wants, just making something. Friday I will do art. I promise.

So David is on the ship outside of Greenland. He just stopped in, in his thoughts, which I love to see. There are deep fjords there and the possibility of spotting whales, although I don't think they have. (This is me in my Icelandic scarf--fast forward photo taken after David returns.)

Here is the latest wildlife report:

"Sun is still shining in our Hearts and outside here too. Cruising through the icebergs (mongo, even by Antarctic standards...), brash ice, and red rock hilltop with Peregrine Falcon, eyrie! Male sitting on the scrape as the sun rose and a juvenile male food soliciting perched up the red cliff face above the icebergs, sea and some of our zodiac cruisers. We hiked up top and spotted ten predated Pink-footed Goose eggs, Ravens (2) flying about chased by Grines, and lovely red birch leaves low, almost vine-like on the ground along with orangey/yellow Willow leaves. Zodiac cruised afterwards among the white giants. Dimpled like golf balls, blue ice veins, oxygen escape route grooves, etc, etc. Massive caves, seracs, underwater shelves, etc.."

I can imagine this landscape, and in fact looked it up on Google Earth. Fantastic. Now to plan some travel for me. I'd like to see some unusual and awesome landscape. In the mean time, I'm looking hard at what is around me. The leaves are turning, the sunsets are purple and orange, the rain is soft, the sunflowers are bent over. It's splendid, really.

So 09-09-09 is special because my life has fallen into place.
Peace,
Traveling Nan

Hiking

Here we are on Skyline Ridge. Just a few days after David returned from the Arctic. He was a strong hiker, compared to me, and I didn't have jetleg. I'm working on getting stronger, through Pilates and daily walks. It was a foggy day, but I loked it. We took lots of photos. David was dissappointed by the fog since he wanted me to see Mt. Baker. I've seen it before, I know it would have been breathtaking, but I was happy to be hiking and be in the silence.

Before he returned from the Arctic, I had a dream one night that a polar bear was chasing me. I had a bowl of candy (I admit to my sweettooth) so I threw bars to him. That distracted him and gave me enough time to get away. I told David about this dream and he said, "That's some dream... sounds like the nighmare I was having before coming here... Ya done good gal... throw 'em something to satisfy their curiosity, shout loud as you can, get to high ground (my plan was also to throw rocks hard)... that said, if they are on the shore, they are getting hungrier by the day and if old or young, may attack without warning! Theyare very unpredictable. There are signs to watch for, but they are not100%. We had an old male today who kept us from landing at Discobukta (Kittwake Canyon). We tried for some time, but he would not leave, so we did."

I heard a mainland bear story lately, a food bag not hung high enough in a tree. The bear just reached up and swiped his paw over it, riping it open. All there food was gone, except for canned goods. They were on a 10 day hike, kept going, ate little. Dangerous.

I've been around a lot of bears, mostly black bear in norther Idaho. They want the food and come down lower as the berries run out or if it isn't a good berry year. People think they are cute, but they are dangerous and making a lot of noise, getting real big, and going the other way is the best bet.

David is back in the Arctic now for two weeks, then home until November. We're planning another trip when he returns, this time perhaps to a cabin somewhere. In the meantime, I'm tending my garden, the last of the summer bringing on a lot of tomatoes and squash and beans. Nice! And swimming still in the bay. What fun!

Peace,
Traveling Nan

Me on Skyline Ridge

It was a foggy day. We'd planned this trip while David was away in the Arctic above Norway. I kept looking ahead at the weather thinking it would be a sunny day for our hike. It wasn't. At least not up above in the mountains.

We car camped on the way up to Skyline Ridge, off the road in a green clearing with lots of ferns and blackcaps and alders. It was very pretty and very quiet. It's so noisy here in Fairhaven, that when I get to the quiet, it's astounding, and I sleep deeply although I'm only lying on a small air mattress in the back of a truck/camper.

By the way, credit for this photo goes to David P. Drummond. He's not only an excellent guide, both camping and hiking, he's also a great photographer. And an amazing thing has happened since we've been seeing each other, I've been photographed. Now this is interesting, because there are lots of photos of me and home movies from when I was growing up. But I got to a point where I just didn't want my picture taken. I was angry, see. Angry over the way I was getting badgered as a child and teen. Emotional abuse. So when I had my picture taken, I just looked beat down, dull eyed, sad, mad, etc. But now, well you can see that hardship and healing can rejuvenate the soul.

Enough about how I look. How do I hike? Slowly. I take a Pilates class once a week and have good strong abs. I walk everyday, sometimes an hour, sometimes not. But I live in a place where I walk to the store and the bank, etc. So really, I walk everyday. I'm in pretty good shape, but my stamina is low. I don't know why. Sometimes I think it was because I was raised with smokers. You know, all that smoke in the car with the windows rolled up, all that smoke in the house. Too bad for my lungs, but hey, here I am building my stamina. What's to complain about.

On this hike we stopped for me to catch my breath and wipe away the sweat. I don't have all the gear; you need gear that isn't made of cotton. You need for the sweat to dry quickly, and cotton holds the wet against your skin. Very dangerous. I don't have a good pack, nor do I have a great coat. The one I'm wearing in the picture isn't bad (from the thrift store) but it is a little big and there is no lining. I just wear wool beneath if I need to be warmer.

We hiked along the ridge through the fog and I used my magic to bust the clouds, but it didn't work well, although once the clouds parted a bit. It was pretty, a glacier in the distance. I really know what Eckhart Tolle means when he talks about being in the now, because it is hiking and kayaking where I've experienced the brightness of detail, so keen the leaves and grass and water. All because I'm completely present. A state I'd like to be in more often.

Okay then, the next trip is to Lummi flats for a bicycle ride. This is after David returns from the Arctic, as he is back there now, doing his last 10 day cruise of this season.

Happy travels,

Traveling Nan

Kayaking: Silver Lake, Bellingham Bay

Ah, after awhile there is not a you, just gliding along the water. You are the water. That's what David said, or something like that. He's very experienced at kayaking. Me, I'm new. I would say I was very aware of the cold, the wind, the workout on my arms and upper back. And I could tip over, and I'd had the drill, what to do if I fell in. But what would it truly be like? Going overboard?

It's the same with healing, I guess. You never know what it will really feel like to lose someone, to go through changes with illness, divorce, moves, etc. The recent changes I've been through have left me at an interesting place. I'd say being empty is a good thing. Although at first I interpreted it as a bad thing. Really, it is where all possibility comes from. Being empty, Tableau Rosa, a blank slate. You can write anything on it. What I want written on my slate is an open heart. I want folks in my life who don't push me to fight, that I don't need to compete with, who give to me as I give to them.

I remember my dad preaching that, give to others as you want them to give to your, or something like that. But that isn't what he did. So how do we learn better behavior? Perhaps giving from the water where everything feeds everything else. Where the nourishment of life is a given. Here I am now ready to kayak again. I've been three times, I think. Each time I've done a little better. And with my Pilates workout, my arms and back and core are strong. That's what it's all about, you know.

Keep having fun. I'll be traveling soon with David and will have more to tell you.

Nan

Ocean Spray Leaves

I love the sun. Lately I've been out in it (I know we're not supposed to) down at Marine Park, on the brought-in beach. Yesterday and three days prior, I went swimming in the Bellingham Bay. It was fabulous and our our particularly record breaking heat days, the water was tepid. So nice.

Saltwater is great to swim in, so buoyant. I grew up around freshwater lakes, inland. It feels different inland, still, stopping, planted, where here around the water, everything is swirling and flows. I love that, but at the same time, it's restful to go inland, to feel the dry heat, to smell the smell of Eastern Washington, the dry grass, the wheat, the sage, the pine. Yes, very nice and invigorating.

David is still in the Arctic above Norway. He'll be back in ten days and this is a countdown now for us. Nine weeks is a long time to be apart. I thought that a long distant relationship would work when I moved to B'ham. With the ex, it didn't. This isn't really a long-distant relationship, it just is a long time to be apart as we are new to each other and there are so many things to learn and do. Like swimming in the sound. Hopefully he'll be into it when he returns. Well, hopefully the weather will still be great.

Here's a note from him: We had lovely day once the fog cleared and saw Atlantic Puffin, numerous wildflowers in profusion, a little history of poor quality gypsum mining, then over for Reindeer, Arctic Fox, Arctic Skua, Snow Bunting families,Fulmars and the best part for me... the first "flight" gliding down from800-1k' at the cliff nest down over a kilometer to the water by the juvenileThick-billed Murres.... very exciting!! They have just started and won't finish moulting into their flight feathers for another 40-50 days!!

Yes, I can't wait to see photos of all these birds and the landscape, ice, ice, ice. And polar bears, he's seen plenty. The guides have to carry shotguns (short version) along with them, since the bears do attack. And the guides have to go out to the firing range when back in Svalbard between cruises. Unfortunately David got the kick-back of the rifle in his face and has a couple of loose teeth now. Send him good healing energy. I'm hoping they'll heal on their own--I'm sending Reiki and distant cranial work.

Well that's about all for now. Enjoy the summer and plan an adventure. Our next one is together, going up the Nooksack River to camp. Can't wait.

Nan

Cashews

Cashews! That's one way of saying, we're two little nuts. Maybe everyone is a little nuts, especially by the time your reach your 50s. Sticking with your way, isn't it going to make you happy. Loving everyone is.

I've decided this was my year of firsts. I'd like a first every day--although I don't know if I'll get one. I've gotten a lot of firsts, however. Last night I watched a movie with my friend on her computer on her back porch overlooking B'ham with a lightning storm in the distance. It was totally fun. A first.

Today I had breakfast with my daughter and her in-laws (some folks say outlaws). It was nice, fun to be included. And now I'll go for a walk to Post Point and write poetry. That's new, I've never written poetry there. I've drawn there--but this isn't big new stuff. D is an inspiration, since he does big stuff--zodiac driving, traveling to the Arctic above Norway. Me, I'm small potatoes.

Life shouldn't be fearful. That's what I think now that I've gotten this far, scared to death most of the time. Why not be bold and brave and have at it. What's to hurt? We all die eventually, that's the only thing that can happen, really. Right?

Here's the note I got from D: We just left Aklefellet (bird cliffs) and are heading to a possible landing in a new spot and five miles away we spot two more Polar Bears.... I spotted two on my watch (mum and cub) and just missed seeing a third, but the Captain sawit first... We even had in addition to the 60k Thick-billed Murres, twoArctic Foxes and a Polar Bear (7-8 mos) on the lower cliffs eating a salad...!!So, the folks interested in more then PBs are happy and while it was cold(snowed again last night), we had fun. I found a huge rock spire with birdsnesting on it and was able to drive my zod around it, which was cool with great photo ops!Tired, so will go take a quick nap before our afternoon operations.

I was just reading in a Buddhist book this morning that loving everyone is so much more what we are doing here than just loving the self. Loving the self, being fearful to preserve the self, isn't the goal. Be big, love everyone, this is what it is all about. I love this. Every day I'm giving up my old ways, my hatred, my anger, my scowling, yes little old sweet me. all these feelings because I've been afraid of life. Now I must live. Now lust for life is the goal. Something new every day. Some say do something every day that scares you. Go ahead...leap!

Keep having fun.

Nan